Monthly Archives: July 2010

Plaid gives us an infographic of the World of Coffee

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Yes, we have seen plenty of infographics on coffee and the varieties of coffee drinks. Some are cool and some are… well, not. This one is on the fun and cool side.

The graphic, created by the folks at Plaid, is more for the average joe coffee drinker but would be very nice to see in every coffee house around the US. Not many folks know what is in a drink they see on the board or they order something they heard about only to find out that it contains something they don’t like.

Small corner of the master “A guide to the complex world of coffee” works:

The Plaid Blog mentions they may be doing a print soon so check in there from time to time if you want something more than the gif they are providing.

Do you drink coffee with your morning yogurt?

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Yogurt is one of those food items that has never really caught on with me. From time to time I will have a berry one as a snack but it isn’t part of my regular meal plan. It can be interesting to see all the flavors available though. Why have just Strawberry when you could have Strawberry and Banana… or Strawberry, Banana and Blueberries. Each one on the shelf is just more flavors mixed in than the previous. Until I hit the end of the row, there was Coffee Flavored. Just Coffee and Yogurt. I just had to know.

You have to be a drip coffee lover to like Yoplait’s coffee flavored yogurt. It has a rather strong coffee flavor with an aftertaste you would expect from drinking a cup of coffee. Of course, there is the weirdness to a coffee flavor to something with the consistency of yogurt. The coffee flavoring doesn’t completely hide the yogurt flavor. An unusual mix of flavors, I can imagine this has a very limited market of either lovers or haters. It isn’t the flavor that someone will buy a second time if they didn’t like it. Personally, it wont be my first grab since I enjoy more than just the flavor of coffee from my cup of coffee. But, sure, I’ll buy it again.

While this ‘treat’ is 99% fat free, it isn’t free of calories. 170 calories isn’t ‘no calories’ but it is definitely on the low side of your options for an afternoon snack. Those afternoons when you want the flavor of coffee but aren’t worried about the ‘stay awake’ of your afternoon cup.

Starbucks Instant Coffee Goes Cold!

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Brandy has gotten her hands on the Starbucks Iced VIA, here are her thoughts!

I was so excited to read that Starbucks now has Iced VIA! I order frappuccinos and iced coffee year-round, even if it’s 26 degrees outside. You can make regular Starbucks VIA® iced, but you have to be patient (which I’m not).

At first sight, mixing Starbucks VIA® Iced Coffee in the cold water made me a little nervous. Initially, a film surfaces while you stir and I wasn’t so sure it was going to dissolve, after all. I should’ve had more faith in Starbucks! The directions say to start with the cold water first; I disagree. It works much better if you pour the mix in the cup first and the water on top. Stirring with a spoon took longer than I’d hoped to dissolve the grounds. (Did I mention I’m impatient?) However, shaking the mixture in an enclosed container (like the VIA Shaker Tumbler, which comes complete with measurements on the side) works much more efficiently. Another trick (while not ideal if you’re truly “on-the-go”) is to use two cups and pour the coffee from one to another until it’s fully dissolved. Once dissolved, just add ice & you’re good to go! VIA comes lightly sweetened, but I prefer to add sugar and milk (and occasionally a little chocolate syrup for an iced mocha). And, the taste? Iced VIA does not disappoint. Each packet makes 16 oz. of coffee. A 5-pack box costs $5.95, but Starbucks and Starbucks.com are currently issuing $1 instant coupons, for a total of $4.95 per box.